What is trauma-informed coaching?​

As stated by Moving the Human Spirit, the training program through which I became certified as a coach:

Trauma-informed coaching is an approach to coaching that considers the potential impact of trauma on an individual’s life and seeks to create a safe and supportive environment for clients who have experienced trauma. The primary goal of trauma-informed coaching is to help clients heal and build resilience while honoring their unique experiences and perspectives.

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The depth of information and skill to ‘hold’ a space for profound coaching work is what gives Trauma-Informed Coaching its nuance and strength. Trauma-Informed Coaches have training in client regulation, brain-body connection, behavioral reaction, different types of traumas, leading causes, and subsequent symptoms. They have learned the proper channels for referral and the growing relationship between clinical professionals, therapists, and coaches. To become a Trauma-Informed Coach, one must have authenticity, strong values, and beliefs that are not limiting working in this area. They will have learned methods to help ‘regulate’ the nervous system, discard shame and guilt through powerful questions, and recognize and promote wellness as it starts to develop.

What are the differences between coaching and therapy?

While both coaching and therapy aim to help individuals grow, the key difference is that therapy focuses on addressing mental health issues and understanding the root causes of behaviors by exploring the past, while coaching primarily focuses on setting and achieving future goals in specific areas of life. Therapists are typically licensed mental health professionals with extensive training, whereas coaches may have varying levels of certification and training and do not diagnose mental illnesses.  In the United States, therapists may or may not bill services to health insurance; coaching is not billable to health insurance.  I am planning to write more extensively about my thoughts on therapy and coaching on Substack, as there are many factors to consider.

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Why do you call this relational coaching rather than relationship coaching?

"Relationship" has often come to be understood solely as referring to a romantic or sexual relationship.  While these types of relationships matter, they are not the only relationships worthy of consideration.  My own relational philosophy aligns with relationship anarchy, which seeks to dismantle hierarchies of relationships in which romantic or sexual relationships are automatically ranked as more important. 

I believe that we are fundamentally relational creatures, constantly engaging in a dance of interdependence.  We can exercise choice, skill, and care in our constellation of relationships.  Given a context of safety and trust, we can examine our beliefs, clarify our values, and take action in alignment with those values.

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What is important to look for in a coach?

Coming soon!